Liveability and creating healthy communities will be the focus of future cities according to international sustainability experts.
Katie Swenson, a U.S-based leader in sustainable design for low income communities emphasised the importance of well designed, sustainable and affordable housing.
Speaking at the recent Green Property Summit, Ms Swenson argued that housing people and creating engaged communities not only has good social outcomes, but also saves a city money.
“Failing to do so means you will be engaging with this problem via your health and social services. Therefore, the role our buildings play in creating healthy, engaged communities has far-reaching social consequences.
“For the homeless, when you design a home that is beautiful and well suited, 98 per cent remain stably housed. This indicates there are health benefits to how and where we live. This is a consideration for the property industry.”
Ms Swenson outlined her work for Enterprise Community Partners and the establishment of the Green Communities Criteria, the only national green building standard with direct applicability to affordable housing.
“Low-income communities experience disproportionately high rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and mental health issues. The Green Communities Criteria, which is a national green building standard, harnesses the power of design to improve residents’ health through “Active Design” requirements. This can include simple, cost-effective measures like improving stairwell access and visibility.
About the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC)
The NZGBC is a not-for-profit industry organisation dedicated to a sustainable built environment. The Council achieves this through setting standards of best practice through green building rating tools; education and training for all areas of the building industry value chain; and providing access to networks, information, and resources for our members to lead the market. Visit: www.nzgbc.org.nz
About Property Council New Zealand
Property Council New Zealand is a member-led, not-for-profit organisation offering a collective voice for the commercial property industry. Working closely with local and central government, Property Council advocates for quality urban growth that supports strong national and local economies. Through extensive research, policy development, advocacy, education, and networking event programmes nationally and regionally, Property Council is enabling a vibrant commercial property market and wealth for all New Zealanders. Visit www.propertynz.co.nz
About Green Star
Green Star is an independent rating system that assesses buildings’ sustainability attributes across a range of criteria. It is the pre-eminent system used to rate commercial buildings in New Zealand. Existing Green Star rating tools are available for offices, education and industrial buildings, and custom tools can be developed for specific one-off projects. Ratings range from 4 Green Star (best practice) to 6 Green Star (world leadership).
About NABERSNZ
NABERSNZ is the New Zealand scheme that benchmarks office building energy efficiency on a scale from 1 to 6 stars. Ratings are based on 12 months’ energy use, and can be carried out for whole buildings, tenancies, or base buildings (covering common areas and services provided by the landlord). NABERSNZ is licensed to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) and is administered by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC). The Energy Management Association of New Zealand (EMANZ) adapted it for New Zealand conditions.